Draft and buffing gear



J. H. LiNK DRAFT AND BUFFING GEAR Jan. 7, 1947.

Filed July 15, 1943 (llll Ill Jizerddr am/211M Patented Jan. 7, 1947 'J'ohnH. Link, Merio Minenlna, Chicago,

ware

n, Pa., assigno'r "to W. Ill aeorporation of Dela- Application .iu y 15, 1943, Serial No. 494,134

This invention relates to improvements .in draft and buffing gears especially adapted foruse in connection with mine cars.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and efilcient combined draft and buffing gear for mine cars including a huffing head and draft element which are relatively movable and yieldingly resisted in their relative movement by shock absorbing means, wherein the draft member is'lever actuated, a coupling pin member being employed to provide the lever action.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a gear as specified in the preceding paragraph simple and eii'icient means for locking thelever acting coupling pin member to the draft, rigging to prevent accidental detachment of the same therefrom.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a lever actuated draft mechanism for a mine car wherein the lever is in the form of a coupling'pin and has a coupling link of special design swivels-d thereto, means being provided for maintaining the coupling link in horizontal position to facilitate coupling with an adjacent car.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hora inafte'r following.

In the drawing forming part of this spe'ciil cation, Figure l a horizontal sectional view, transversely of the end of a mine car, illustrating my improved combined draft and bufling gear in connection therewith, the improved gear being shown in plan. Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of Figure '1, the coupling link and the shank of the lever pin being shown in side elevation. Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 3-3 of Figurefl.

In said drawing, it indicates the'vertical end wall ofa mine car, and H the floor 'of the car. The end wall It is provided with an outwardly extending horizontal bottom flange l2, which is cut away at the center, as indicated at 13,-as clearly shown in Figure 1. tending channel member M is disposed between the projecting flange I2,and a bottom plate 15 secured to the bottom of the car. The channel member 14 is; in efiect, an end sill member.

This channel. member i l-has the web thereof dis posed vertically and the top bottom flanges projecting outwardly, as clearly shown in Figure 2. The top and bottom flanges of the channel member, respectively, abut the underneath side of the flange IZ'of theend wall Not the car-and 2 Claims.

A transversely 'exf 2 the top side of the plate 55 and are secured thereto in any suitable manner, preferably by rivets, as shown i In carrying out my invention, I mount the 5 parts of the combined gear'between the top and bottom fianges'of the channel member M, said channel member thus forming a partial housing for the .rnechanism.

My improved mechanism proper comprises broadly a bufilng head A; a draft member 13;

combined supporting and guide brackets or lugs C-C; two cushioning springs D-D; a coupling pin E and a coupling link F,

The buffing head A is in the form of a hollow 15 member having verticaliy spaced top and bottom walls It and ii, spaced vertical side walls !8-l3, and a transverse front wall it, The front Wall it presents an outer curved buffing surface, as clearly shown in Figure l. The bottom wall has a forwardly and upwardly inclined portion 28 which is somewhat longer than the opening 2%,

as clearly shown in Figure 2. The opening'22 is of such a length as to permit the necessary swinging movement of the pin E to actuate the draft member during the draft action of the gear At the rear of the bufiing head A, the side walls 83-48 thereof are provided with laterally inturned flanges 2' -23 which form reta ning stop shoulders cooperating with the hooked stop lugs C-C secured to the channel member 1'4 by rivets extending through the flanges of the channel and through the flange l2 and plate lb.

The draft member B is in the form of a casting or forging having a vertical transverse rear section 24 and a forwardly extending central 4,; yoke section 25 formed integral with said section 24. The section it projects beyond opposite sides of the yoke a sufficient distance to provide seats for the springs D-D. As clearly shown in Figurexl, the springs D-D are two in number so and are disposed at oppositeesides of the yoke section 25 of the draft member Band are interposed between the rear section 2'4 of the member Band the front-wall is of the bufiing head A. The yoke se'ction 25 of the draft member B is ,55601'0sed at both ends, as shown in Figures 1 and The wall is provided with a central 2 and is of the vertical section shown in Figure 2. The yoke section 26 has vertically disposed spaced side walls 26-26, a front wall 21, a rear wall 28, and top and bottom walls 29 and 30. The top and bottom walls terminate short of the front wall 21, thereby providing top and bottom openings 3| and 32 at the forward end of said yoke section 25, which extend from one side wall to the other of the yoke. The top opening 3! is of greater size lengthwise of the yoke than the bottom opening 32. As shown most clearly in Figure 2, the bottom edges of the side walls are inclined upwardly at the front end of the yoke, as indicated at 33, and the bottom of the front Wall is cut away, or beveled, to correspond to said inclination. As shown in Figure 2, the front wall 21 is relatively thick and is cut away on an inclination on the inner side, as indicated at 34, to form a bearing face for the pin E in the inclined position shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the forward end of the yoke is normally spaced inwardly from the transverse front wall I9 of the bufiing head A so as to permit of the necessary rearward movement of the bufiing head during buffing action of the gear, and forward movement of the draft member in draft. The inner end portion of the draft member B, as clearly shown in Figure 2, is arranged between the top and bottom flanges of the channel member I4 and is thus supported by the bottom flange of said channel member.

The coupling pin E comprises a substantially cylindrical shank 35 having flanges 36-36 at its lower end, these flanges being diametrically opposite and having rounded edges, as shown in Figure 3. The upper end of the pin E, which projects above the top of the buffing head A, is headed as indicated by 31. The head 31 is of a hollow half sphere presenting a concave inner surface 38 forming a socketlike seat and a convex outer surface. The head 31 is thus in the form of a socket member of a ball and socket joint. The wall of the socketlike head is provided with a central opening 39 therethrough adapted to accommodate the shank of the coupling link F.

The coupling link F comprises an oval loop portion 46 having a rearwardly extending cylindrical shank 4! formed integral therewith, the shank being threaded at its end, as shown in Figure 2. The threaded portion of said shank carries the nut 42 which has a convex front face 43 seated against the concave surface of the socket member 31 of the pin E. As shown in Figure 2, the opening 39 through the wall of the socket 31 is of sufficient size to permit angling of the shank of the link F as the pin E swings during operation of the mechanism. At the lower wall of the opening 36, the head 31 of the pin E is provided with a protruding shelf I39, the top surface of which is aligned with and forms a continuation of said lower wall. The supporting surface of said shelf is substantially horizontal in the normal position of the gear, as shown in Figure 2, and the shank M of the pin rests thereon and on said lower wall of the open' ing 39. The shelf I39 projects a sufiicient distance so that the weight of that portion of the link rearwardly beyond the shelf together with the weight of the tnut 42 counterbalances the portion of the link outwardly beyond the shelf, the link thus being positively held in the horizontal position when the parts of the gear are in'normal position as shown in Figure 2.. In

assembling the pin E and the link F with the other parts of the mechanism, the pin is applied to the yoke of the draft member B before attaching the link F to said pin In applying the pin E to the yoke B, the pin is first turned about its axis through an angle of degrees from the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, so that the flanges 36-36 at the lower end of the pin are disposed. lengthwise of the opening 2I in the bottom wall of the buffer head to pass freely through said opening. While in this position the shank of the pin E is inserted through the top of the buffer head and passed through the openings of the buffer head and yoke section 25 until the flanges 36-36 of the pin pass beneath the inclined bottom wall section 26 of the buffer head." The pin is then turned about its axis through an angle of 90 degrees to the position shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, thereby engaging the flanges 36-36 beneath said wall. 20 at opposite sides of the opening 2|, thereby locking the pin against removal in upward direction. The coupling link F is then attached ,to the socket 31 of the pin by the nut 42 which is welded in place.

The operation of my improved draft and bufiing gear is as follows: When the buffing head A is moved inwardly toward the car, the springs DD are directly compressed against the rear section 24 of the draft member B, the draft member, at this time, being held stationary by engagement with the vertical web of the channel member I4. Rearward movement of the buifing head will be limited by engagement with the front end edges of the flanges of the channel member I4. When a pulling force is applied to the link F in draft the upper end of the pin E, which pin, inv effect, forms a lever, is moved outwardly from the car, the lower end of the pin rocking on the bearing face formed by the rear wall of the bottom opening 2I of the buffing head A. Inasmuch as the inward movement of the buffing head is yieldingly resisted by the springs DD, the lever action of the pin E will pull the yoke outwardly away from the end of the car. The yoke and bufling head will thus be moved relatively toward each other, thereby compressing the springs DD therebetween. During this action, the stop brackets CC prevent outward movement of the buffing head. Relative movement of the draft member B and the buffing head A will be limited by engagement of the front end of the draft member with the front wall of the buffing head.

As will be evident from the preceding description taken in connection with the drawing, my improved swiveling arrangement for the coupling link provides a relatively heavy structure at the point of greatest wear in handling the car in dumping, especially in case of handling in a roll over dump which involves revolving the car through a complete turn of 360 degrees, with respect to the next car to which it is coupled.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merelyillustrative andI contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim: 1. In a combined draft and bufiing gear for mine cars, the combination with an inwardly movable buffing cap-on one end of the car, said bufiing cap having a bottom wall provided with an opening therethrough,-- said opening extending j lengthwise'of the'carand being of greater length thanwidth; of an outwardly movable draft-'mem- 4 ber having a forwardly extending yoke portion provided with a transverse front wall, said yoke being disposed above said bottom wall of the buffing cap; a coupling pin extending through said yoke portion and the opening of said bottom wall, said pin having fulcruming engagement at its lower end with the rear wall of said opening and bearing engagement between its ends with the transverse wall of the yoke, said pin having radial projections at diametrically opposite sides of the bottom end thereof forming a transversely elongated head having shouldered engagement with the underneath side of said bottom wall at opposite sides of the opening thereof when said pin is in one position, said diametrically opposite projections passing freely through said opening when said pin is in position turned through an angle of 90 about its longitudinal axis from said first named position, thereby permitting insertion and removal of said pin; and a coupling link connected to the upper end of said pin for swinging movement in unison with said pin about theaxis of rotation of said pin, said link extending radially to said pin at right angles to the vertical plane of said radial projections.

2. In a combined draft and bufiing gear for mine cars, the combination with an inwardly movable bufiing cap on one end of the car; of an outwardly movable draft member; spring resistance means yieldingly opposing relative movement of said cap and member; a coupling pin having a head at its upper end, said pin being fulcrumed at its lower end on said cap and having engagement between its ends with said member to pull the same forwardly with respect to the cap in draft as the pin is rocked on said cap, saidpin in normal position of the parts being inclined rearwardly, said head having a walled opening therethrough, the lower wall of said opening being horizontal in said normal position of the parts; a hemispherical concave seat in the rear side of said head in alignment withsaid opening; a coupling link having a straight shank extending therefrom, said shank extending through said opening and into said seat, said shank normally resting on said horizontal lower wall of the opening; and a nut fixed to the end of said shank within said socket; said nut having a ball face in bearing engagement with the concave wall of said seat to prevent tilting of said shank on said horizontal bottom wall of the opening, thereby holding the link in horizontal position.

JOHN H. LINK. 

